Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Rica and Guatemala Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Rica and Guatemala

Name: Guatemala
Address: GT

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,536 per month in Costa Rica vs $787 in Guatemala, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,320 per month in Costa Rica vs $1,253 in Guatemala, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,104 per month in Costa Rica vs $1,719 in Guatemala, rent included.

Costa Rica costs about 95% more than Guatemala on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Costa Rica sits 15% above the global median, while Guatemala is 41% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Guatemala has a wider regional cost range ($112–$1,264) than Costa Rica ($1,165–$2,032), so location matters more when choosing where to live in Guatemala.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.69 ₡4,413

$5.79 Q 44.32

67.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.8 ₡27.2K

$49.80 Q 381

20.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.65 ₡4,398

$6.62 Q 50.7

45.77%

Cappuccino

$3.99 ₡1,817

$3.52 Q 26.93

13.35%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 ₡993

$1.31 Q 10.06

66.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₡745

$1.03 Q 7.90

59.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 ₡1,387

$3.25 Q 24.86

-6.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 ₡2,012

$5.15 Q 39.37

-14.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ₡934

$1.94 Q 14.86

5.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 ₡1,464

$2.60 Q 19.88

23.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 ₡1,133

$1.76 Q 13.48

41.48%

Eggs

$3.29 ₡1,497

$2.25 Q 17.22

46.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.11 ₡4,148

$7.61 Q 58.2

19.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.70 ₡4,417

$7.89 Q 60.4

22.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.19 ₡6,010

$9.97 Q 76.3

32.30%

Apples (1kg)

$4.53 ₡2,063

$3.61 Q 27.65

25.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 ₡715

$1.69 Q 12.91

-7.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 ₡1,460

$3.27 Q 25.04

-2.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.94 ₡1,339

$1.51 Q 11.58

94.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.99 ₡1,361

$1.51 Q 11.56

98.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.71 ₡1,235

$1.77 Q 13.51

53.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 ₡469

$0.74 Q 5.69

39.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 ₡1,138

$1.09 Q 8.33

129.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.05 ₡2,300

$3.69 Q 28.26

36.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.18 ₡7,372

$8.32 Q 63.6

94.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 ₡1,091

$1.89 Q 14.43

26.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 ₡1,260

$2.82 Q 21.58

-1.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 ₡431

$1.06 Q 8.07

-10.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.97 ₡22.3K

$12.99 Q 99.4

276.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 ₡848

$3.52 Q 26.93

-47.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.01 ₡915

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 ₡3,532

$10.08 Q 77.1

-23.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡684

$1.12 Q 8.56

33.93%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$36.8K ₡16.8M

$18.2K Q 139.0K

102.50%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$35.5K ₡16.2M

$22.4K Q 171.7K

58.06%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$87.5 ₡39.8K

$58.3 Q 446

50.18%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$25.82 ₡11.8K

$29.30 Q 224

-11.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.5 ₡24.8K

$53.5 Q 410

1.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.4 ₡25.7K

$43.71 Q 334

29.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.13 ₡13.3K

$25.57 Q 196

13.92%

Cinema Ticket

$9.14 ₡4,164

$6.71 Q 51.4

36.21%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$555 ₡252.8K

$262 Q 2,003

111.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,828 ₡4.5M

$8,050 Q 61.6K

22.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.9 ₡33.7K

$50.2 Q 384

47.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.2 ₡24.7K

$50.7 Q 388

6.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 ₡54.0K

$97.6 Q 746

21.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 ₡46.5K

$104 Q 797

-2.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$822 ₡374.6K

$673 Q 5,152

22.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$549 ₡250.1K

$434 Q 3,323

26.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 ₡669.1K

$1,325 Q 10.1K

10.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 ₡466.2K

$699 Q 5,347

46.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,327 ₡1.1M

$2,260 Q 17.3K

2.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,612 ₡734.5K

$1,141 Q 8,731

41.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,076 ₡490.3K

$592 Q 4,529

81.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.53

8.71

20.90%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Costa Rica: April 25, 2026

Last update for Guatemala: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $776 in Costa Rica vs $221 in Guatemala. For reference, capital cities sit at $872 in San Jose and $739 in Guatemala City.

Average salary: $1,110 in Costa Rica vs $692 in Guatemala. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 251% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 50% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 1200% more expensive in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 60% higher in Costa Rica, giving Guatemala stronger purchasing power.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Costa Rica vs Guatemala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guatemala is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 132% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Costa Rica, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Costa Rica consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in Guatemala, contributing to the overall 132% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$2,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Guatemala, but in Costa Rica it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Guatemala is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.